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JCrakers
02-04-2015, 08:24 AM
I'm seriously annoyed...actually I'm so fuming that I feel like telling everybody not to bother returning!!!

I'm on holiday this week (back on Tuesday) so can't talk to parents face to face. I logged onto my bank yesterday and no money in there. 1 family have fully paid their vouchers in time and half another family but I'm still waiting for another 6 payments. (vouchers wont come in to my bank until Friday but that's fine, at least they've issued them on time)

Log in this morning and still nothing. I'm so mad I've literally had to stop myself writing a blunt text with probably a few swear words inserted!!!

I'm drafting out a letter about late payments and will hand out on Tuesday (Is £5 per day fair or should I go for higher)

How should I word the text so its not too rude but they know that I'm seriously p****d off ?

:mad:

QualityCare
02-04-2015, 08:45 AM
Hi xx, l have just checked my bank account and notice (or l am very disappointed to find ) you have not put my money through as it was due on xxxday could you do it as soon as possible please, see you on Tuesday.
Send to all parents
if this is the first time l personally wouldn't send letters, but you could say due to late payments last week l have decided to implement a late payment fee of £5 per day this will apply after 24/48 hrs of non payment if no payment is made within 5 days care for your child will be withheld until payment is made.

shortstuff
02-04-2015, 08:53 AM
i would put as QC has but alter the if you could part to 'please rectify this by the end of the day.' Also by saying as soon as possible that might be next month. I always give a timescale, it negates the possibility of a misunderstanding.

It is money they have contractually committed to you so you shouldn't need to ask. Just state that you would like it rectified. :thumbsup:

Blueeyedminder
02-04-2015, 08:56 AM
Hi xxx

I have just checked my bank account and I'm disappointed to see that this weeks payment has not been paid. If no payment is received by e.g. the end of the day then I will be enforcing my late payment fee of (whatever is in your contract). I hope you understand that even though I'm on leave I still have bills to pay on time.

Thank you


That's how I would word it and I'd draft a letter/text ready incase you do have to enforce a late payment fee.


Hope it helps x

Mollymop
02-04-2015, 09:35 AM
I can understand exactly how you feel. I have the same from a set of parents who, no matter how many times I say, pay their vouchers too late so that I am waiting until around the 3rd or 4th of each month to receive them. Other parents in the past set up a direct debt so that their vouchers get paid in the same time each month so they don't forget.

I would just txt saying - the payments have not been paid into the vouchers scheme, as you know I needed paying by XX so I would really appreciate if you could pay it in today and ensure it is available to me by the XX day of the month in future, please allow 4 working days for payment to reach my ban k account. Thank you

lollipop kid
02-04-2015, 09:56 AM
Another route you could take (which I use to keep the parent/minder relationship sweet in these circumstances) is to blame the bank.

So you could write something like:

Hello x. I've just checked my bank account and noticed that your payment of £x, which was due on y date has not yet reached my account. Please could you chase your bank, so that they can ensure that this reaches my account urgently, and can ensure that full payment is in there by the end of today?

Going forwards, I will be applying my late payment charge of £xx er day (from payment due date until I have cleared funds in my account) to all parents in respect of late payments. Yours will apply from x date. (Use this phase if you haven't yet charged late payment fee. Or if you want to apply it now, use: "Under the terms of our contract, I will be adding a late payment charge of £xx per day from payment due date until I have cleared funds in my account. I will text you again when payment clears to let you know how much this week's / month's occurence has incurred, so that you can arrange with your bank to make urgent payment for that as well.")

With regards to voucher payments, please allow 4 working days for these to reach my account as any delay in the clearing of these will also attract my full late payment charge, as outlined above.

If it helps, my late payment charge is £10 per day (which I have never yet had to charge but parents now know that I am more than willing to charge it. I went down the route of sending payment reminders - it got a bit irritating, so I now send an 'Advance payment invoice' to parents, outlining their next 6 payment due dates'. Let me know if you want more info on this. I find it works a treat.)

Going back to your current text, to give it a bit more welly, you could also add: "As your childcare account with me is in arrears, please do not return your child to my care until you have brought your account up to date." (Have never used this tactic myself, though, so proceed with caution, as although late payment is a pain, it's better the devil you know.)

All the best,

L

Maza
02-04-2015, 10:08 AM
Would you not consider phoning the parents? Slightly more awkward for them. I had to do it once and I could feel mum squirming down the phone. I was in such a bad mood that I didn't feel awkward - but she was a new mum and so I hadn't yet built up a relationship with her. x

JCrakers
02-04-2015, 10:24 AM
Thanks all. Every month I have to remind at least two lots but was astonished when I had no money yesterday or today. Now they've paid after a stern text saying that contracts are to be renewed and a late fee added.

I really cant be bothered pussyfooting around anymore. One reply simply said 'Sorry, had a really busy day out with the family yesterday and completely forgot. I'll be the one with the late payment fee every month..lol

Lol?! Its not funny :mad:

I'm not sure £5 late fee will cut it though. I want something that will make them think, most are high earners. DH says £25.

JCrakers
02-04-2015, 10:29 AM
Would you not consider phoning the parents? Slightly more awkward for them. I had to do it once and I could feel mum squirming down the phone. I was in such a bad mood that I didn't feel awkward - but she was a new mum and so I hadn't yet built up a relationship with her. x

I have 8 sets of parents so to ring round them all would be time consuming. :D I usually would speak to them face to face when they arrived but being off until Tuesday I couldn't leave it that long. Most are at work today though so it would be awkward ringing them at work, a couple wouldn't answer as they are NHS.

shortstuff
02-04-2015, 11:02 AM
Thanks all. Every month I have to remind at least two lots but was astonished when I had no money yesterday or today. Now they've paid after a stern text saying that contracts are to be renewed and a late fee added.

I really cant be bothered pussyfooting around anymore. One reply simply said 'Sorry, had a really busy day out with the family yesterday and completely forgot. I'll be the one with the late payment fee every month..lol

Lol?! Its not funny :mad:

I'm not sure £5 late fee will cut it though. I want something that will make them think, most are high earners. DH says £25.

glad you got it sorted, i would be angry too. I think this is the 1st month that ive been paid by all by today!

maybe set it as a percentage of the fees owed then?

Fitrix
02-04-2015, 11:19 AM
I'd be tempted to word it along the lines of

Dear xxx, due to fees not arriving in my bank account by the contacted date, I have had to default on my mortgage payment and my home is now being repossessed. Could I and my family move in with you until we get something sorted?..... Cheers!

AliceK
02-04-2015, 01:49 PM
My late fees are 10% of outstanding money per day which for most parents equals a lot of money. I have only ever had to charge it twice.

xxx

bunyip
02-04-2015, 02:48 PM
Or you could wait until next time you're minding for them and send the "pay up....we have your son/daughter" message. :rolleyes:

tess1981
02-04-2015, 02:53 PM
Or you could wait until next time you're minding for them and send the "pay up....we have your son/daughter" message. :rolleyes:

What if they say keep them we heading away for a fortnight's holiday 😢

natlou82
02-04-2015, 05:12 PM
Glad you got this sorted. I can't abide late payments and sometimes send a reminder txt on the day (kick up the bum) which usually works. I've applied my late fee once £5 it didn't go down well but I've had no probs with the family since.

Maza
02-04-2015, 05:20 PM
Or you could wait until next time you're minding for them and send the "pay up....we have your son/daughter" message. :rolleyes:

Oh no, I couldn't threaten them with that - they might just take me up on the offer/call my bluff :panic:

loocyloo
02-04-2015, 05:58 PM
Hope it gets sorted ... I'm not able to check my account till tomorrow ...
Neither have I reminded anyone ... I suspect I will have one parent who will blame the bank ... But seeing as the unopened invoice was still in child's bag 10 days after I put it in mums hand I shall not be impressed.
I used to have a parent who added a £20 late fee every month .. even if not late paying and would never let me give it back! She said she knew she often paid late and she was happier doing that!

loocyloo
03-04-2015, 09:50 AM
Hope it gets sorted ... I'm not able to check my account till tomorrow ...
Neither have I reminded anyone ... I suspect I will have one parent who will blame the bank ... But seeing as the unopened invoice was still in child's bag 10 days after I put it in mums hand I shall not be impressed.
I used to have a parent who added a £20 late fee every month .. even if not late paying and would never let me give it back! She said she knew she often paid late and she was happier doing that!

well, I've just sent a text message requesting mum chases the bank!!! which I know she won't be able to do as its a bank holiday, but I've been away all week and only had limited internet access and wasn't going to check bank accounts, when I could be doing important things like reading the forum !!! ;)

JCrakers
03-04-2015, 11:13 AM
I like the idea of 10% :D

But one bill was £700 so that's £70. I might go with a 1 off fee of £20.

I think it just might help them remember :D

shortstuff
03-04-2015, 11:15 AM
I like the idea of 10% :D

But one bill was £700 so that's £70

:D

It would only need to be enforced once though :thumbsup:

loocyloo
03-04-2015, 12:08 PM
well, I've just sent a text message requesting mum chases the bank!!! which I know she won't be able to do as its a bank holiday, but I've been away all week and only had limited internet access and wasn't going to check bank accounts, when I could be doing important things like reading the forum !!! ;)

:-) mum paid ... and bank ensured her it would be in my account immediately! Xx

lollipop kid
03-04-2015, 12:14 PM
:-) mum paid ... and bank ensured her it would be in my account immediately! Xx

Well done! Works for me every time. Don't you just love Internet Banking?

L

loocyloo
03-04-2015, 01:11 PM
Well done! Works for me every time. Don't you just love Internet Banking?

L

:-) Oh yes!

Xx

Mummits
03-04-2015, 03:10 PM
I enforced my late payment fee once (at my wits end after 5 or 6 months in a row of late payments). Dad paid up with very bad grace then almost immediately gave notice (bizarrely refusing to bring the child for the notice period - I think that was supposed to be my punishment :D).

JCrakers
03-04-2015, 04:36 PM
Don't you just hate having to ask for wages. No one else has to do it.

It really gets to me!! When I got the reply text saying that she had forgot I felt like replying 'Maybe I might "forget" to pick up your daughter from school'

When you put so much effort into a job, looking after their children who are their most important possession you'd think that people would have the decency to pay you on time for it. I'm sure most people think we either do this for fun or because its the love of the job :mad:
Its so disrespectful and some of my parents have lost major brownie points in my eyes this month. I wont be doing anyone any favours :D

It works both ways :thumbsup:

AliceK
03-04-2015, 04:47 PM
It would only need to be enforced once though :thumbsup:

Exactly. One of my late charges was about £80 and the other was about £50. You are right though, I only had to charge each parent once, they were never late again. It just shows a lack of respect to pay your childminder late. I once told one parent who was using the excuse that they had been on holiday which was why they were late paying "I don't use your money to buy shoes and handbags, I use it to keep a roof over our heads".

xxx

loocyloo
07-04-2015, 02:27 PM
:-) mum paid ... and bank ensured her it would be in my account immediately! Xx

I'm speechless ... Mum said she thought she'd paid early ... Child arrived today ... invoice is STILL in sealed envelope inside diary, despite being handed to mum!

I've now added a letter about care required 2015/16, saying that if not returned in 2 weeks I will assume care not required! (As have someone desperate for space!) ... I wonder if I'll get a reply! ( or knowing this mum ... she'll say one thing and need something totally different the next day! )

(I will be asking all my parents of Schoolies or almost Schoolies to confirm care for next school year within the next couple of weeks. I always do at the start of the summer term)